Pieces of Tanakabastian
by GrellsLilSecret
Summary: These are short stories featuring the pairing of Sebastian and...Tanaka. Yes, you read that correctly. Originally intended to be satire, these short pieces I wrote for friends actually turned out to be bittersweet and cute. Each chapter is its own separate story. Constructive criticism is welcome.
1. Chapter 1

**At the Diner**

 _A/N: I know what you're thinking which is, "Sebastian and...Tanaka?! This started out as a bit of satire, but these little stories I wrote for friends didn't turn out half bad. Although there are two chapter here, but are separate ficlets. I may add more later. These were written as a joke, but still I post them here for other's enjoyment._

Sebastian looked around the restaurant, if one should deem to call such a place a restaurant, with wary eyes as fowl smells assaulted his nose. There were others eating in a slovenly manner as they managed to shove down what the demon only assumed was edible. He really hated to be in such an establishment, for he feared touching any of the surfaces were surely stain his clothes, but he had no desire to be rude to the elderly gentleman who had brought him here so graciously. When he returned home, however, he would definitely have a talk with his young master to see about getting Tanaka's wages increased if this was all that he could afford.

A petite waitress with far too much makeup smeared on what was possibly a fair face walked over to them. "Have you decided on what you'd like to order."

Tanaka was consulting his menu one last time as Sebastian's stomach lurched a little at the thought of anyone, much less this kind and wise old man, eating the slop that was being prepared in the tiny square kitchen. "Excuse me," he said politely to the waitress, as he stood and headed towards the back. No doubt, everyone else must have thought that he was heading towards the restroom, but he made his way into the kitchen without a moment's hesitation.

"Hey! You can't come in here!" shouted a burly, bald man.

Sebastian ignored him as he examined the pitiful ingredients on display, but he quickly decided on how to best correct this situation. He worked with a speed that caused his actions to be little more than a blur as he took the sparse offerings of the kitchen to create a culinary delight that was sure to please even the pickiest of palates. Feeling rather confident and pleased with his efforts, he walked out of the kitchen and placed his creation on the table before Tanaka.

Everyone else stared at the dish with awe and Sebastian could hear their stomachs rumbling, but something was wrong. Tanaka was staring at the dish rather sadly, and this confused Sebastian. Finally, the old man raised his head as a single, tiny tear glistened in his eye. "You always do such nice things for me," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "but I wanted to do something nice for you this time."

Sebastian swallowed hard as he looked between his expertly prepared dish and the sadness on Tanaka's face. He had made a mistake.


	2. Chapter 2

**Stay With Me**

The manor was unnaturally quiet that evening so that that even the softest noise roared and raged like an invisible storm hovering overhead. Sebastian walked down the long hall, pausing only once to glance up at the large clock and noting it was slow. The steady ticking was like a heartbeat, low and monotonous, but now that heart was slowing slightly as it winding down to a complete stop. He knew that he should take the time to rewind the clock so that it ran correctly, but some part of him felt reluctant to do so. Everything within these four walls should be in perfect working order at all times, and it was his job to make sure of this, but he could only stand and look at the clock. Somehow he knew it was wrong to fix it just yet.

Tearing his gaze away, he continued his trek down the hall until he came to a simple, unassuming door. No one could have guessed what lay beyond as he politely rapped gently before opening the door to step inside. A single candle had been lit by the bed, but it did little to dispel the gloom that hung in the room like a shroud. Mey-Rin was sitting in a small chair, her face buried in her hands as her shoulders shook from her silent weeping. Tanaka was lying in the nearby bed, his frail frame not looking much bigger than Ciel's beneath the twisted sheets, as the meager light highlighted his form. Wordlessly, Sebastian stepped forward and straightened the sheets before looking up at the withered, old gentleman. His weak eyes were open slightly, but their pierced into Sebastian deeper than even a reaper's scythe.

Tanaka was dying.

Mey-Rin was still crying, so Sebastian walked over and placed his hand upon her shoulder. She looked up suddenly, and it was obvious that she had been unaware of his presence before his touch. "I'll stay here with him," Sebastian whispered, "You go and keep a watch for the doctor with Finny and Bard."

She nodded slightly as she lifted up her glasses to wipe away her tears. "Yes-s, Mr. Se-Sebastian," she sniffled before exiting the room as quietly as a shadow.

Sebastian wasn't tired nor did he have need of rest, but he took the seat recently vacated by Mey-Rin as he looked over at Tanaka who was still watching him intently with what appeared to be a tiny smile upon his face. In all of his countless years, Sebastian could never remember feeling exactly as he did in this moment. He had seen death and had been the cause of more than a few fatalities himself. It was an unspoken acceptance that human lives were fragile and fleeting, and it had never caused Sebastian much concern...until now. He knew that Tanaka was dying, but what he didn't understand were the unfamiliar tightness in his chest or his reluctance to even voice what was happening in this room. Unsure of what to say, he simply sat there as he stared into dark eyes of this man who had taught him everything about being a proper butler. Perhaps, he had even taught him more than that.

"So, this is the end," Tanaka said, his cracked voice slicing into the silence that had surrounded them.

"We've sent for the doctor," Sebastian offered immediately, "He should be here very soon."

Tanaka chuckled his all too familiar chuckle, but it was painfully weak. "I'm afraid I'm beyond the help of a doctor," he whispered, a tear escaping his eye and slipping through the folds on his face. "How odd it is for me to cry now. I've lived a long life, and I had so much happiness. Still, it's hard to accept that this is the end."

"Perhaps it doesn't have to be," Sebastian replied, surprised at the words tumbling from his own mouth, "There may be another way."

Tanaka smiled gently. "I appreciate the offer," he said, "And I know you could do that." There was a soft pause as Tanaka freed his gnarled hand from the sheets and reached for Sebastian, who took his hand immediately. "I know what you are," he whispered.

Sebastian's eyes grew wide as the old man's words fully registered. A part of him wanted to deny it, but he could see by the look in those slightly dimming eyes that it would do him no good. "You do? But how?"

"I've lived a long life, and I've seen many things," Tanaka answered mysteriously, "Although I believe I've seen more, learned more, in these last few years than I could have ever imagined." He smiled again. "I thank you for your offer, and it is more tempting than I care to admit. But, I've lived as a human, and I think I'd prefer to die as one. You can do one thing for me though."

"What?"

"Sit with me until the end," Tanaka whispered, "I know how foolish this much all seem to someone like you, but I'm afraid."

It didn't seem so foolish to Sebastian, and he agreed readily. Silently, they sat together, Sebastian still holding onto Tanaka's hand as they waited for the end. Tanaka's breath grew more ragged and fainter until it finally ended altogether. Sebastian was reluctant to release his hand, but he finally did so as he stood up to look down at him lying in the bed. He had died with that the same, tiny smile he had greeted Sebastian with.

He knew a reaper would be here soon, and for the first time he actually hoped it would be Grell. Sebastian wanted to view the cinematic records, and Grell would be the only one who might possibly allow him to do so without much resistance. Sebastian had to look because there was one thing he was still unsure about.

He was still trying to figure out exactly what Tanaka had meant to him, but at least he might be able to learn what he had meant to Tanaka.


	3. Chapter 3

The once proud home was a ruined husk; a shell which no longer contained any seed of life. It was still a fine piece of property, but no one had ever attempted to build anything else on this particular piece of real estate. Rumors, carried by far too eager tongues, had long since circulated that this land, as well as the family associated with it, was cursed, and history seemed to support this assertion. It had been burned the day that Ciel had been kidnapped, and it had burned once again after the consumption of his soul, although Sebastian could only take credit for one of the two fires.

The world had changed and moved on, but this place had stayed the same; much like Sebastian himself. While he recognized that he was technically no longer Sebastian as the name had died along with his late master, he had felt compelled to wear the familiar face and carry the name like a badge. On these grounds, he was Sebastian Michaelis no matter who he was elsewhere. He wore the familiar face as he walked about the charred remnants of a wall.

As he rounded a corner, he noticed an older man was stooped over a few roses that were still struggling to grow, and he found that he couldn't believe his eyes. Surely this couldn't be Tanaka, even though the silver hair certainly seemed reminiscent of elderly gentleman. Sebastian had seen him die before the final days of the contract's completion and its rather anticlimactic ending, but still he felt the hope rising in his chest. He knew that some were chosen for reincarnation for some reason or another, and Tanaka would no doubt have been a suitable candidate.

"Hello," Sebastian greeted, still unsure of this stranger's true identity, "I didn't think anyone was here."

The old man turned slowly, and Sebastian felt his nostalgic dreams crack and splinter. Although he did look a little like Tanaka, this was obviously not the same man. The hair was much thinner on top so that more of the scalp showed, and there were more lines crisscrossed about the senior's face, like lines on a map indicating all the places he had been in his life. "I didn't know anyone was here either," the man returned, smiling slightly, and Sebastian was taken aback. There was a light in the dark irises that was very reminiscent of Tanaka, and the idea that this might be Tanaka reborn seemed more plausible. A part of Sebastian knew that things like hope were the foolish things humans clung to in place of reason and fact, but he still wanted something, or someone, to connect him back to this place and back to his own past.

"What are you doing here, if I may ask?" questioned Sebastian.

"Just trying to look after the old place," answered the man with a faraway look, "It's a shame to see such a grand estate fall to ruin, but I am alone these days. There's very little that I can."

"It is a nice gesture," Sebastian said, still a bit uncertain, "Do you live nearby?"

The older man looked confused. "No," he finally answered, "I don't think so, but I don't really have any place I belong. I'm just here for now because I have no other place to be. There's no one that needs me these days."

Sebastian frowned slightly. "Do you have any family?"

"No," repeated the man, "I'm alone I'm afraid."

A part of Sebastian knew that he should simply bid the man a farewell and be on his way, but something about this supposed stranger still piqued his interest. His mind kept repeating that this couldn't be Tanaka, but that foreign invader known as hope was stuck firm in his chest. "That's quite sad," he said, "What is your name?"

"Tanaka."

Sebastian gasped before he could stop himself. "Tanaka?" he repeated in a questioning tone.

"Yes. Is there something wrong, son? You look quite pale suddenly."

"No," he answered, "It's just that I knew someone named Tanaka once, and you remind me of him."

The old man's smile was gentle. "That's odd because I feel that I've met you before as well. Perhaps we did in some other life." He chuckled softly and Sebastian's heart beat faster at the familiar, "Ho. Ho. Ho." Sebastian's face remained passive, but his mind began to scream and plead in a way he would never allow his lips.

 _Remember me. Tanaka, remember me. We do know each other. Don't you remember that long talk we had that night. You knew more about who I really was than anyone else. I need you to remember me. I need you…to remind me of who I used to be.  
_  
"Well, I suppose I should be going," Tanaka said as he started to turn away.

"There's no need to be in a hurry," Sebastian said, "I have no place to be either. Perhaps we could be each other's company. I haven't been in this area for a long time."

There was another one of Tanaka's gentle smiles. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea," he said, "It might be nice to get a small bite to eat."

"It would be nice," Sebastian answered gently.

Together they walked, and Sebastian allowed this Tanaka to lead the way in both their path and conversation. He had many questions, but finding the proper words seemed far more difficult than usual. With each thing Tanaka said, Sebastian found himself analyzing his words in hope there would be some proof one way or the other. Sebastian had to know if this was the Tanaka he had known or just a cruel coincidence.

They found a small café, and Tanaka seemed quite hungry. As he ate, he didn't seem to notice that Sebastian didn't join him in his meal, nor did he seemed concerned about the price. Thankfully, Sebastian had long since learned to carry some money on him while traveling even though he rarely had to purchase anything for himself. After eating, they made their way to a park where Tanaka continued to talk. There was so many ways that this old man reminded Sebastian of the man he had known before, but he still didn't know for sure, which was distressing.

Finally, they returned to the ruined remains of Phantomhive Estate, and Sebastian saw a far off light begin to glow in the old man's eyes. If he was going to ask directly, he would have to do so now in order to have any hope of an answer. He opened his mouth to do so, but was interrupted when a young man suddenly shouted and ran towards them.

"Grandfather!" shouted a young man with black hair and almost equally dark eyes, "We've finally found you! We were so worried!" A woman soon followed him, and there were tears in her eyes.

Tanaka chuckled the same familiar chuckle. "I've just been spending time with my new friend here," he offered, before turning towards Sebastian. "What was your name again?"

"Sebastian." It was actually the first time Tanaka had asked, and Sebastian had been hoping he had remembered it all along.

"Yes, Sebastian," Tanaka said, "We had a lovely day together."

"You shouldn't wander off so, grandfather," the girl said, shaking her head so that her black hair danced around her thin face, "You had us worried. Now, let's get you home." She started to lead him away, and Sebastian noticed, for the first time, a small, red car parked in the distance.

"Thank you for looking after our grandfather," the young man said to Sebastian, "He has Alzheimer's, so he wanders off from time to time. He's harmless, but we're afraid he's going to get hurt one day."

"Tanaka told me he didn't have a family," Sebastian stated.

"Did he tell you his name was Tanaka?" the man asked, "He says that sometimes, but my grandfather's name is Yoshida. Whenever he takes these spells, he usually winds up here claiming to be the butler of this old place and that he's all alone. Isn't that strange. Of course, my sister and I panicked when we couldn't find him here at first. We've been driving everywhere looking for him, but we should have known that he would wind up here eventually." He let out a long breath and looked around. "I wonder why he always comes here," he mused, "Although I bet this place was something back in its day."

"It was," Sebastian said softly.

The young man looked at him oddly before wishing him goodbye and hurrying to his car. From the backseat, Tanaka, a.k.a. Yoshida, waved and Sebastian knew the truth. That man was Tanaka, but Sebastian had come almost too late. Once again, Tanaka was quite old and his mind wasn't the same by the time Sebastian had found his way into his life. If only he had known that Tanaka would have had this second chance, then he would have returned much sooner so that he would finally have had a chance to know Tanaka in his youth.

Still, hope was not entirely lost. He had found Tanaka again, and he would come back to visit his old friend. They would talk, and maybe Tanaka would even remember him one day. Besides, if Tanaka had already given a second chance, perhaps he would be offered another at the end of this life. Perhaps it wasn't too late. Perhaps. Perhaps.

Sebastian would have to wait and see.


	4. Chapter 4

**In the Quiet of the Night** The night was silent as if all of the world had been wrapped tightly in a death shroud. Even the insects and frogs, which usually seemed to serenade the moon and stars, were oddly still as not even a soft breeze breathed across the grounds. The stars twinkled brightly in the ebony expanse of sky, but there were so distant that the sight only made one feel more alone in the darkness.

Tanaka sat as quiet as the night itself at a desk in a small room at the far back of the manor. A candle burned nearby, the flame dancing and twisting as if celebrating some forgotten pagan ritual, as its light fell upon an untouched page. The old man eyed the page before him, but he made no move to mar that spotless surface with ink. Normally, he used these quiet hours to record his thoughts and feelings of each day, but that was becoming more difficult with the passage of time. As much as he hated to admit it, his mind was growing weaker. There were days were he barely remembered anything that had occurred. He had a vague impression – like a dream that was only partially remembered upon waking, but nothing was clear or even seemed real. He was slipping, and his days of being an asset and functional were becoming more and more distant.

A soft noise from the hall caught his attention, and he hurried to the door to check on who or what was stalking Phantomhive Estate like some forgotten ghost, but he was relieved to see that it was only Sebastian. He seemed slightly surprised to see Tanaka standing in the doorway, but he didn't seemed startled or show any fright the way that many man would have upon seeing someone suddenly emerge from a typically vacant room in the middle of the night. "Ah, Sebastian," he said, "I thought I heard someone out here. What are you doing up so late?"

"I was just attending to some chores," Sebastian replied calmly. He carried no candle, but the moonlight streaming through a nearby window highlighted his form and caressed him as gently as a lover. "I hope that I didn't disturb you."

"Oh, not at all," Tanaka replied, "I usually come here to write in my journal, but I'm afraid that my mind is quite blank tonight." He may no mention that he didn't write in the room that he shared with Finnian and Bardroy because the light might disturb them because it was only a reminder of how frail he was becoming. Everyone was afraid for him to even sleep alone.

Sebastian smiled slightly; his face shimmering in the moon's liquid glow. "I'm actually surprised that you heard me," he stated, "I've been told I have a rather light step, but I suppose it's only necessary for a servant of the Phantomhive family to have senses more attuned them most. I still have some things that I need to complete before morning, so if you'll excuse me." He nodded his head and started to turn away.

"Wait!" Tanaka cried, stepping out of his room and reaching on gnarled hand in Sebastian's direction. He had no idea of why he had cried out so, or what he even wanted, so he felt himself collapsing slightly in the doorframe under the weight of Sebastian's gaze. "Would…Would you mind to stay and talk with me for just a bit," he finally managed.

The request was an odd one indeed, so Tanaka was not surprised to see the momentary look of confusion sweep over the other man's handsome features. Sebastian's hand twitched briefly towards his pocket watch, the very watch Tanaka had given him, but he didn't pull it out to check the time. Tanaka mentally thanked him for that. "I suppose that would be acceptable," Sebastian stated before walking over to the room.

Tanaka smiled as he stepped back to allow Sebastian to enter, although he didn't close the door behind him. "Thank you," he said. He walked over and sat down in a nearby chair, but Sebastian only stood until Tanaka motioned to another chair for him to use.

"What is it you wish to talk about?" asked Sebastian calmly. He seemed mildly curious as his eyes sparkled in the dim light of the candle. The flame seem to color his irises so that the rich brown had a slightly fiery hue.

In truth, Tanaka had no idea what he wanted to say, so he simply opened his mouth and began talking. He told Sebastian about his own childhood and how he had first came to work for the Phantomhives. To his credit, Sebastian didn't even attempt to stop his monologue even though Tanaka knew that he was undoubtedly eager to return to his work.

As he spoke, however, the old man began to feel his mind grow hazier and hazier. Each word, each thought took effort and he could almost feel an internal clock counting down his minutes of clarity. "Thank you," he said in a slow, deliberate tone.

"What are you thanking me for?" Sebastian asked.

"For taking over my position," Tanaka continued in the same, difficult tone, "It would have been harder to see an incompetent man try to take charge. It makes it easier…watching you do everything so effortlessly. And thank you for letting me stay here even if I am of no use."

For the first time, a tiny frown took possession of Sebastian's mouth. "I don't see you as useless," he answered, "You taught me so much about the butler's aesthetics, and I am very grateful for that."

Tanaka laughed slightly, but the haze within his own brain was growing thicker. "You learn fast," he said, "You would have picked up it regardless. No. I am mostly useless these days, and I am grateful. Thank you."

As the words left his mouth, he felt himself falling forward. He started to steel himself for the pain of striking the floor, but instead found strong, capable arms holding him. Distantly, he was aware that he was being carried by Sebastian who was no doubt carrying him back to his bed. There had been so much more he wanted to say, but it appeared that it had to weight. As he heard a door open, however, he rallied his remaining strength into speaking a few words.

"You're…a…good person," he gasped.

"Is that so?" Sebastian's voice sounded as if he was great distance away although he knew whose arms carried him.

"You don't…don't know that, I think," Tanaka continued, "You…you have…confidence. You know…you…are a good butler. You are…better than…most, but you don't…know. You are…a good person. Give…yourself…a chance." Opening his eyes, Tanaka looked up and was intrigued by Sebastian's expression. For the first time, he look almost unsure.

The haze clouded his vision and, by the time that he felt himself being laid in his own bed, he felt himself slipping away. His final thought, before succumbing to his peculiar condition, was to wonder if Sebastian had heard and understood his final statement.

Perhaps he would never know.


End file.
